


Sky Riders

by PsychedelicShips



Category: Mortal Engines (2018), Mortal Engines Series - Philip Reeve
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-24 05:19:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18161960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychedelicShips/pseuds/PsychedelicShips
Summary: Anna Fang: slave, aviatrix, spy, rebel, and many other things. But she was not alone on her escape from Arkangel, the Ice City of the north.Artemis Calida joined her on their escape, and now travel together, across the skies of the Traction Era.THE REST OF THIS IS ON WATTPAD UNDER THE SAME TITLE AND USERNAME.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Ao3 work, I’ve also put this on my Wattpad account under the same username. I hope you enjoy this fic!

"Art! Art wake up!"  
Artemis woke to someone shaking her awake, whispering in her ear. Anna Fang crouched beside her bunk, grinning. Artemis knew her grin, even in the pitch-blackness of the slave cages.  
"Anna, did you do it? Did you really build a ship," Artemis whispered back, in awe.  
"Yeah, come on! We leave tonight." Creeping out of her small cot, putting on her shoes, Artemis and Anna are overjoyed, yet terrified.  
They only have one chance at leaving this hell-hole, and if they mess it up, they could be killed or worse. Secretly, Anna was fearful. So many things could go wrong. The airship could not work, they could be caught, or, even if they got out, they could be captured again. Not wanting to let it show, Anna out on a mask of confidence. But Artemis saw through the mask, and slipped a reassuring hand into Anna's. Half a foot taller than Anna, Artemis was deceptively intimidating. Anna was the scary one, who threatened on a daily basis and would either stab you or make you a cake. Artemis would just make you a cake and skip the stabbing bits.  
"Hurry! I took the keys from Stilton to get in here, and we have to get all the way to the junkyard without being seen," Anna whispered.  
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get out of this place," Artemis grinned back. Not letting their hands go from each other's, they crept quickly and quietly out the iron door of the slave cages.  
Creeping down the hallway, lit only by the dim argon globes suspended from the ceiling, every sound was terrifying.  
Every rattle could be a guard's footsteps, coming to catch Anna and Artemis's escape.  
Every whirring noise could be a hidden camera, looking for them.  
Every clicking sound could be an opening door, leading someone right to them.  
At long last, though only a few minutes had passed during their journey from the overstuffed room Artemis slept in with almost twenty other girls through the dim hallways of the great predator city, the girls reached the entrance to the junkyard, full of the skeletons of captured cities, scrap metal from small towns, and the occasional bit of an airship.  
Artemis and Anna had slaved away for countless days at this same junkyard, and this would be the last time they would ever step foot here. Anna had significantly easier jobs, due to the infatuation Stilton Kael had with Anna.  
"Here we are, the Jenny Haniver! She's not much yet, but she's our ticket to escape!"  
That was how Anna was able to build this beautiful red airship that would lead them to escape. Stealing pieces away, one by one over the years, the ship was ready to fly. Using Stilton's feelings as an advantage to get longer showers, easier jobs, and bigger rations. It was not much, but Anna was significantly better off than most of the slaves aboard Arkangel. Artemis worked late every day in the junkyards, and had the scars to show it. Artemis was tall and scrawny from years of not having enough to eat, and her long, dirty-blonde hair was always tangled. Messily cut bangs got in her face more often than not, and her hair usually hung down her back, unbrushed.  
Whippings happened nearly every day in the yard, and Artemis has been at the receiving end of many. Random cruelty and early death was expected on Arkangel for the slaves, even if they weren't called slaves. Anna and Artemis and everyone else who was kept were called Thralls. Artemis supposed that the citizens of Arkangel supposed it sounded nicer than 'slave'. Still, it was no different. Life was hard in the bottom level of Arkangel, wether you were called a Thrall or slave.  
The red airship was almost ready for their escape! Only a few more short seconds and the gas tank would be full and the airbags ready for liftoff! Soon, Anna and Artemis would be free to roam the skies, doing whatever they pleased.  
"Come on! We are ready to fly!" Anna smiled, elated at the prospect of finally being free and returning to the skies like she had with her parents so long ago. Artemis grinned back, ready to be free as she never had been. Hopping into the ship, Artemis looked around. There was not much too see, and the only furnishings were a small chest to be used as storage and the chair Anna sat in now to pilot the ship. It seemed to be made mostly of discarded pieces of pipe, with and old couch cushion as the seat. The narrow wooden gondola was not in the best shape, yet it was the most beautiful thing Artemis had ever seen.  
"She's ready for liftoff. Ready to get out?" Anna smiled. Freedom was so close, just a few minutes away.  
"Yes." Artemis breathed, barely a whisper. Artemis has never known freedom, being born in the not very sanitary hospital that was reserved for the slaves. Her mother had died giving birth to her and her father... well, Artemis has always though he was some higher up citizen who had liked the way her mother looked.  
The airship started to lift off the ground, climbing higher in the air above the graveyard of machines and cities. Watching through the windows, Artemis saw the junk getting smaller, snaller, smaller, until Anna maneuvered the Jenny towards the Gut, where they would make their escape through Arkangel's gaping jaws.  
"Artemis, you good? It'll probably be a little bumpy, seeing as I havnt done this in nearly ten years, but I'll make it work!" Anna said in a loud whisper, gripping the controls. As the Jenny Hanniver ascended, Artemis saw people moving into the junkyard. It wasn't slaves, no. It was too early for them to be coming in. So that left only one option.   
Guards. They must have heard the commotion being raised by the ship's engines and had come running to see. Artemis started to panic. The worst possible scenario had come true. She imagined what would happen to her and Anna if they got caught. Would they be killed right then and there? Or would they be sold to another city, separated and in even worse conditions?  
"Anna?" Artemis whispered, barely audible. "They- guards- they're coming." She stuttered, terrified.   
"Don't worry, Art. I got it. Don't worry, I'll get us out of here." Anna said back to her, reassuring.  
As the Jenny climbed higher above the yard, the guards raised their guns. "Anna!" Artemis warned, panicky. But Anna's voice held steady as she told Artemis, "Look in the chest. There is a gun inside. Start shooting!" Artemis obeyed, running over to the chest and opening it. Inside, just as Anna said, there was a large gun.   
It was more of a small cannon! How Anna had smuggled it onto the ship was a mystery, yet Artemis was glad for the weapon. Heaving the heavy gun up to her shoulder, Artemis pulled the trigger. A burst of red fire came from the barrel, propelling the bullet towards the guards down below. The gun recoiled, scaring her. She saw a spray of red as the bullet made contact with it's target. The guard went down, and even from way up above, Artemis could see the red stain rapidly spreading across his chest.   
I just killed someone. I killed him. He probably had a family and I killed him! She thought worriedly. Artemis knew what she did was in self defense, yet it was still paralyzing, knowing that she had just used that gun in her hands to take a life.   
"Keep shooting! Don't get squeamish now!" Anna shouted, focusing on piloting the airship. Artemis knew she was right. She cocked the gun again, and shot. Cock, shoot. Cock, shoot. After she was done, each guard was down and had a red stain over their chests.   
The Jenny Hanniver was almost out of the Gut of Arkangel, almost free. Speeding through the Gut, Artemis could see the giant jaws gnashing open and closed ahead. What was Anna's plan? Would she really fly through the jaws? Artemis's question was answered a moment later.  
"I'm going to fly straight through the jaws, so I'll need to concentrate! But don't worry! Once we make it through, we can do whatever we want, and we'll never be owned again!" Anna laughed. Freedom was so close, just past those metal teeth! Artemis held her breath as the Jenny flew closer, closer, closer to the huge jaws that had captured and dismembered countless cities.  
Anna put on another burst of speed, and the ship flew faster, faster, faster, closer, closer, closer. The jaws opened wide, and the ship, just a red dot in the barren desert of snow, flew out of the great predator city.  
Artemis let out a sigh of relief. The Jenny was out. Out of Arkangel. Out of the Gut. Out and free. The girls started to laugh. First it started out a small chuckle, as if they couldn't believe it. It escalated to a psychotic cackle, in triumph of doing the impossible. Escaping Arkangel. Artemis held Anna in a hug, and together they flew off into the night, far away from Arkangel.


	2. The Hunting Grounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis and Anna meet Tom and Hester.

As the years had gone by, Artemis and Anna had stayed together on the small red airship, the Jenny Haniver. They had joined the Anti-Traction Legue, earning names for themselves as ruthless criminals who destroyed every city they landed on by the Tractionists, and skilled aviatrices from the Legue. Wanted in most of the larger cities, Anna and Artemis could be considered professional criminals. With large prices on their heads, they were always living on the edge. Arkangel was offering ten thousand Quirkes, Panzerstadt-Bayreuth twice that, and some cities even five times that. Anna liked to keep track of what they were worth, something's complaining that the cities should offer more for them. After all, they were 'infamous murderers!'  
They had become so popular, they had nicknes given to them. Anna was Feng Hua, the Wind Flower. Artemis was Munran'Na, the Moon Runner. Becoming skilled warriors, they had become sisters-in-arms, fighting even better when together.  
Now, flying high above the giant Huning Ground, Artemis watched as the occasional town or city scuttled or lumbered or rolled by, the setting sun illuminating the shilouette of each city than ran past. Once, there had been so many more small cities for trading and staying there for a few days to fix or refuel the ship when they were too far away from Airhaven, the floating city.   
Then, something caught Artemis's eye. Was that London lumbering across the Hunting Grounds? Wherever London has been hiding for the past few years, it definitely wasn't t hiding anymore.  
"Oi, Anna! Look, it's London!" Artemis half-shouted across the narrow wooden gondola that had been fixed up to much better shape than the first time she was on it.  
"Yeah! I could go turn you in right now and get fifty thousand!"  
"You wouldn't," Artemis countered. "You enjoy my company too much."  
"You think so highly of yourself," Anna laughed, her red-stained smile illuminating the narrow gondola. Their friendly banter was a normal occurrence, volleying back and forth. The banter kept the boredom away when they were on long journeys from city to city, town to town.   
"But I wonder what its doing out here," Artemis asked.  
"Nah, I don't know anymore than you do. But hey, that's one of the cities where we're worth the most!" Anna chuckled.  
She loved to keep track of the bounties different cities had put on their heads. Why she did that, Artemis had no idea, but she wasn't one to judge hobbies. Anyway, it was really funny when Anna thought their bounty wasn't high enough in a city. Artemis started to braid her blue dyed hair over her shoulder as she watched the sun set out the window, casting long shadows over the expansive Hunting Grounds.   
"Do you think maybe we should go see what London is doing? I mean, they must have come out here for a reason, right?" Artemis asked, worriedly. She was not one to let mysteries grow or miss out on any facts. "You know, just swoop by."  
"Actually, yeah. London being out here is actually really suspicious. Why do you have to make such a good point?" Anna replied, the silver-dyed streaks in her hair gleaming in the fading sunlight. She gripped the controls and steered east toward the huge Predator City. Artemis pulled out a telescope, looking at the city through the lens. Just as it focused, she saw two bodies falling out from behind the city.  
"ANNA!" Artemis gasped. "PEOPLE JUST FELL! OFF OF LONDON!"   
Anna turned autopilot on and swiveled around the old chair that had never been replaced and stood up, taking the telescope from Artemis's hands.  
"Where? Where are they?"  
"They fell right behind it, probably a little ways behind London now. Half a mile, maybe?"  
"Which tier did they fall from? Ground is soft so if it's not the top three they should probably be alive..."  
"PROBABLY?"  
"Well yeah. Like a seventy five percent change they're still alive."  
"Well if there's a seventy five percent change they're alive there's a twenty five percent chance of them being VERY VERY DEAD!"  
Anna sighed. "I supose you want to go look?"  
"Well yeah," Artemis replied. "If they fell off London, it was probably for a reason! They might be fellow Anti-Tractionists!"  
"Why, Artemis, do you have to have such a good point?"  
With that, their argument, if it could be called that, was over. Artemis sat in the pilot seat and turned northward to the spot where the two bodies fell out of the Traction City.  
Flying closer the the ground, looking in the tracks London left behind, Artemis said, "Anna, I'm going to get out and look for them. You take the controls. I'll get a gun and my sword, so don't worry." With that, she landed the Jenny on a relatively smooth patch of land and jumped out.  
The mud of the ruined earth squished under Artemis's boots as she walked along the trench that London's treads has made, Artemis called out.  
"If you are the people that fell out of London, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU. LOOK, I'M PUTTING MY WEAPONS DOWN! SEE? I AM UNARMED!"   
A second or two after she laid her gun and sword on the ground, she heard the mud squelching behind her. Turning, she saw a girl with a knife and a red cloth covering her face. Lunging at her, blade raised high on the air, the girl brought down her blade as if meaning to stab Artemis.   
Raising her hands and grabbing the girl right out of the air, Artemis turned the girl's blade at her own neck.  
"Hello, nice to meet you. Please don't stab me, bleeding is bad for my health," Artemis smirked. "Okay, lets start over. Hi, my name is Artemis, who are you?"  
The girl tried to squirm away. "TOM!" She shouted. Kicking Artemis's gun to a boy, she snarled. "Let me go."  
"Well, my friend and I found it interesting that both of you fell out of London together," Artemis said, acknowledging the boy who was holding the gun as if he had never held one before. He was wearing a Londoner's clothing, with a Historian's badge on his chest.   
"So, Tom, since your girlfriend won't tell me what happened, you can!" Letting the girl go from Artemis's chokehold, Artemis held out her hand. "Gun please." Looking terrified, the boy gave it to her. "She-She isn't my girlfriend," he said, looking slightly embarrassed.   
"Alright then. Well, if y'all are going somewhere, we can take you wherever you need to be. Just come on my ship." Artemis told them.  
"No, we won't go anywhere with you. Right, Tom?" The girl said, with venom in her voice.  
"But Hester, they have a ship! Should we just walk all the way back to London?"   
Ah, so the girl's name was Hester! Wait, Hester? Anna and Artemis had been told to look for her!  
"Hold on, hold on. So your name is Hester? Hester Shaw?" Artemis asked her.  
"Yeah, so what?"   
"We knew your mother. We've been looking for you, Hester Shaw."  
With that, the Jenny Haniver got two more passengers.


End file.
